Expense Reimbursement

Silicon Valley campus employees may submit requests for reimbursement for business, travel, and other expenses as necessary. As with any University payment, original documentation is necessary to verify expenditures and eliminate the possibility of duplicate payments.

Individuals may delegate responsibility for preparing the expense report, but accountability remains with the individual requesting reimbursement, not the preparer of the form. It is not appropriate to round-off amounts or to estimate expenses.

Meal and restaurant receipts must include the name and location of the restaurant, the number of people served, and the date and amount of the expense.

For meals with fewer than 6 guests, list the names of each attendee and the purpose for meeting.

Travel

Travelers are required to submit original receipts to substantiate their travel expenses (except in the case of per diem reimbursements – see the Per Diem Options of the CMU BTE Policy [PDF] – CMU employees only; Andrew ID login required).

In the case of airfare not charged directly to a Departmental account through a University preferred travel agency, travelers must provide proof of payment. Travel itineraries do not constitute receipts for reimbursement purposes.

Receipts

All single expenditures of $75 and greater will need to be accompanied by an original receipt.

In cases where receipts are not required to be submitted, e.g., highway tolls, tips, etc. and an amount less than $75, record the actual amounts of the charges and clearly itemize these expenses on the expense report.

Detailed receipts that support credit card charges are considered original receipts and must be submitted with the expense report (e.g., both an itemized restaurant receipt in addition to the completed credit card authorization slip including total amount after a tip).

Photocopies of credit card charge slips or credit card statements are not sufficient documentation, nor are tear-off stubs for meals. If no other form of receipt can be obtained, the original credit card statement will be accepted.